Massachusetts CU Manager Condemns Occupy Movement

Tina Mooney, CEO/manager at RAH Federal Credit Union, did not hold back on her long list of criticisms of the Occupy movement.

Mooney, who first contacted Credit Union Times through a recent email, said she is confused about the Occupy message and does not blame credit unions for keeping their distance.

“If they had a clear message in the beginning and went about it in a more civilized manner, one might have listened and sympathized, however, these are mostly a bunch of spoiled, selfish, dopey, left-wing idiots,” Mooney wrote.

Mooney said she has been a member of the $14 million RAH FCU in Randolph, Mass., for 30 years and has worked there for 12 years.

In the email, she goes on to question the Occupy movement’s motives for promoting credit unions, saying, “I do not believe they care about CUs, per se; but they just want to punish the banks and obviously people have to put their money and perform their financial business somewhere so CUs just happen to be in favor with ‘occupy’ at the moment.”

Credit Union Times followed up with Mooney on Monday, when she continued to criticize Occupy demonstrators, many who have called for wealth equality and have railed against the banking industry. Nationwide, Occupy has encouraged people to join credit unions and community banks.

Mooney, however, said Occupy money would not be welcomed at RAH FCU.

“I wouldn’t want them to come over here and open an account. I definitely would not want that because it would be nuisance money,” Mooney said. “We would have all kinds of guidelines, especially if they’re bringing in something like $10,000 in cash.”

For the most part, credit unions have not affiliated with the Occupy movement although pockets of support have sprung up across the country.

“Kids today don’t know credit unions. We don’t do a good job of getting the word out,” she acknowledged, but reiterated her skepticism on Occupy promoting credit unions.

One of RAH FCU’s offices is located in Randolph, an area 20 minutes south of Boston. Occupy Boston has had a strong following that is currently pursuing an injunction that would bar the city from removing demonstrators from their encampment site.

Mooney said she is disgusted with Occupy Boston.

“Look at the news clips. Drugs, needles, pot, filth, rape, stench, and God knows what else. Who would want to be affiliated with that? This is not the kind of movement you want to drive people to. They’re out of control.”

Beneath some of the complaints the Occupy movement has voiced, Mooney suggested looking closer at the housing market downturn and student loan debt.

“School debt? Let them work it out like many previous generations,” Mooney said. “Go to a state school. Get a part-time job.”

She spoke of her niece, a single mom, who’s “doing it” and a grandson paying $900 a month to pay off student loans. She said she has seen many teachers who are members of the credit union pay for college costs on their own.

Regarding the housing market collapse, Mooney wondered why no one could see the impact of issuing so-called no-doc loans.

“They didn’t have full time or steady jobs, they had too much debt and when rates went up and they couldn’t afford it, they lost their homes,” she said. “If you can’t afford a house, you shouldn’t try to get one.”

Mooney said Randolph and Brockton have become less than desirable parts of Boston. The credit union was originally formed to serve teachers but had its charter amended to include employees of six towns and some small select employee groups.

A merger with a credit union that served members of the National Guard “fell by the wayside’ due to not having a liaison, she said.

Mooney reiterated she had little sympathy for what Occupy demonstrators are protesting.

“If they want to protest the state of the country right now, why don’t they protest the White House or [Mass. Rep.] Barney Frank’s house, as this housing crisis was brought on [by] Democratic policies run amuck.”